1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high speed rotary marking apparatus for use with a high speed printing machine. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus which has an axially and rotationally adjustable numbering unit for use in marking selected numbers on sheets of material exiting from a high speed printing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore various mechanisms have been proposed for printing numbers on sheets of material exiting from a printing machine. Examples of such numbering mechanisms are disclosed in the following U.S. patents.
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 381,105 Black 425,298 Carlaw 764,289 Harris 1,113,483 Pritchard 1,920,232 Allen 2,652,772 Katz 3,120,800 Ward 3,171,348 Wetzer ______________________________________
The Harris U.S. Pat. No. 764,289 discloses a numbering attachment for printing presses which includes discs mounting numbering heads that are adjustable longitudinally of the shaft on which they are held by means of a spline. Also, this patent teaches the use of a crank arm arrangement for changing the number.
In the Pritchard U.S. Pat. No. 1,113,483 there is disclosed a printing press including a numbering mechanism which can be utilized to print the same number but different dates on envelopes. The numbering mechanism is designed to change the date during each operation of the printing press while the number is only changed once in each cycle of operation of the dating mechanism.
Also, various devices have been proposed for changing the rotational position of a point on one rotating member relative to the rotational position of a point on another rotating member. Examples of such devices are disclosed in the following U.S. patents.
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 2,030,027 Greenwood 2,245,075 Mingle 3,166,947 Hendershot 3,364,789 Whitfield 3,385,125 Plumb 3,516,297 Dullinger 3,525,305 Daniels 3,563,104 Schuster 3,630,145 Leuenberger 3,750,568 Weisgerber 3,906,810 Glendening ______________________________________
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the high speed marking apparatus of the present invention differs from the previously proposed numbering mechanisms by providing therein a rotatable indicia marking mechanism which is not only axially adjustable but is also rotationally adjustable, so that the time of, and the position of, the marking of indicia on a sheet of material relative to the time of the printing on the sheet of material can be adjusted. Moreover, the marking apparatus of the present invention includes an impression roller and control mechanisms for controlling the positioning of the impression roller to engage a sheet of material coming out of the printing mechanism beneath the path of travel of the indicia marking mechanism. Still further, the apparatus of the present invention includes a caam mechanism for selectively advancing the indicia positioned for marking to a next indicia in timed relationship to the positioning of the impression roller.
In a specific embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, the axial adjustment as well as the rotational adjustment of the indicia marking unit can be made during operation of the apparatus.